Almost Christmas

'Almost Acoustic Christmas' runs over two days at Universal Ampitheatre...

The Distillers, AFI, Thrice and Offspring kicked off night one of Los Angeles radio station KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas last night (December 13) at the city’s Universal Ampitheatre.

Pennywise, Puddle of Mudd and Linkin Park joined in too, performing for 6,000 fans in support of charities including Children of the Night, Inner-City Arts and the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center.

The bands also played to thank the radio station for their support of the year.

“The station plays our songs and plays all these bands songs throughout the year and does a lot to support the bands so it’s in the spirit of giving around Christmas time,” AFI bassist Hunter told NME about why his band performed at the event.

Orange County, California quartet Thrice, who play an NME Awards show with Hundred Reasons on February 10, kicked off the evening with a hard rocking set. The Distillers, who are building a bigger fan base off the back of their new album Coral Fang, followed with a quick, but acclaimed, set. Queens of the Stone Age mainman, Josh Homme watched from the side.

Though the evening weighed in light on the acoustics (despite the concert’s title), The Offspring managed to sneak in the evening’s only unplugged bit, bring in the marching band of the University of Southern California. The Trojan Marching band played their rendition of The Offspring’s “The Kids Aren’t Alright,” which they’ve done this season at games for their University’s American football team, with a heavy brass line including trumpets and tubas. Later Offspring frontman Dexter Holland, himself a USC alumni, commented to the crowd “USC is number 1” referring to the Trojan team, now headed for the Rose Bowl, a 90,000 person stadium, January 1 for a play off game.